


The Man at the Door

by frecklesarechocolate



Series: Ella!Verse [14]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Babies, Domestic Castiel/Dean Winchester, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-10
Updated: 2013-07-10
Packaged: 2017-12-18 08:39:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/877838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frecklesarechocolate/pseuds/frecklesarechocolate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An old friend shows up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Man at the Door

 

Ella knows she’s not supposed to answer the door. She’s supposed to wait for Daddy or Papa, and one of them will do it. But Jack and Robbie are both wailing loudly in the kitchen, and Ella’s certain that neither of them heard the knock on the door.

So Ella does what she’s not supposed to do, and opens the door. On the porch is a large bear of a man, wearing a blue cap and carrying a small duffel on his shoulder. He’s got a few days worth of beard growth and a friendly smile, which falters when he sees who’s answered the door.

"Hi!" Ella says brightly. “Are you here to see my Daddy or my Papa?"

The man scrubs one large hand over his mouth and looks puzzled. “Well now, I’m not even sure I’m in the right place," and Ella decides instantly that she likes this man very much – he’s got a nice, soothing voice that sounds kind of like warm honey.

"Who are you looking for?" Ella asks.

"Thought this was the house of an old friend – Dean Winchester."

Ella bounces a bit on the balls of her feet. “It is! I’m Ella Winchester. Daddy’s busy right now." She tips her head toward the kitchen, where the sounds of the boys’ tantrums are just beginning to fade. She’s about to say something else when Cas comes up behind her, Robbie in his arms.

"Ella, you shouldn’t stand–" he stops in his tracks when he sees the man at the door. A smile breaks across the stranger’s face when he sees Cas.

"Well well, angel, looks like you and your hunter figured things out."

"Benny," Cas says, and his voice is breathy with shock.

"These your kids? Or Dean’s?" Benny asks, taking off his hat. He kneels down and holds his hand out to Ella. “We haven’t been properly introduced, Miss Ella. I’m Benny Lafitte, an old friend of your Daddy’s." Ella allows her hand to get swallowed up by Benny’s much larger one. Cas steps forward as if to say something, but then he stops.

"Nice to meet you, Benny," Ella says, because Daddy and Papa taught her how to be polite around grown ups.

"Cas, have you seen– holy shit," Dean says, coming out of the kitchen with Jack in his arms. Jack’s face is reddened and tear-stained and he’s resting his head on Dean’s shoulder. He’s sucking on his thumb in a sulky fashion.

"Brother, how many kids you got hiding in this house of yours?"

Dean just grins and pulls Benny into a one-armed hug, squishing Jack slightly. Jack squeaks in protest, but Dean doesn’t let go of Benny for a few long moments. When he finally does, he invites Benny in, and they all settle in the living room.

"You didn’t answer my question," Benny says.

Jack’s shifted even closer to Dean, still nervous around strangers. Robbie is watching Benny with wide eyes, taking in everything, and Ella’s placed herself on the couch between Dean and Cas. She’s the one who answers Benny.

"It’s just me, Jack and Robbie," she points to each of her brothers in turn. “I’m almost ten and Jack and Robbie are almost one."

Benny leans forward. “Well, I’m real sorry I didn’t know about you before I came here, sweetheart, otherwise I would have brought you and your brothers a gift."

"You don’t have to do that," Dean says. “Benny, how…"

Benny grins. “‘Course I do. It’s my job to spoil your kids, brother."

"Sam already does that," Cas points out. “And you didn’t answer Dean’s question."

"Still not sure you can trust me, huh angel? Actually, you can thank Sam."

"Sam?" Dean asks, a slightly bewildered expression on his face.

"Got me out. Told me where I could find you." Benny takes in the family seated on the sofa across from him - all five of them. “Neglected to mention a few things."

Dean chuckles, and even Cas cracks a smile. Ella asks, “Daddy, who is Benny?"

"An old friend, punkin. One I’ve missed a lot."

"Oh," Ella thinks about this for a few minutes. “Can he stay for dinner?"

Dean exchanges a look with Cas. “That’s up to Papa, Ella."

Of course, Ella turns to Cas, her eyes wide. “Please, Papa?"

Benny hides a grin behind his hand, knowing that Cas doesn’t stand a chance against this little girl. Cas seems to recognize this, too, because he says yes.

"We have to get the boys down first."

"Tell you what," Benny says. “You and Dean do that, and I’ll whip something up for us all to eat. Miss Ella, would you like to help me out?"

"Can I, Daddy?" Ella asks.

Once more, Dean looks to Cas, who still seems to be deciding whether he trusts Benny or not. Cas nods, reluctantly, and Ella’s up and dragging Benny into the kitchen practically before Cas has finished giving his approval.

"Dean?" Cas asks as they take the boys upstairs. He doesn’t have to say anything else, it’s obvious what he’s concerned about. Benny is a vampire after all.

"Cas you know I trust him. You must too, if you’re letting Ella be alone with him in the kitchen."

"Dean, there are knives in the kitchen, and you’ve taught Ella how to use them." Cas puts Robbie in his crib. “And, I’m going back down there right now, anyway."

"Cas–" Dean says, but Cas has already left, and Jack is yawning sleepily in Dean’s arms. Dean makes sure Jack’s diaper is clean and then he puts Jack in his crib. He checks Robbie’s diaper too, and then watches as the two boys drift off to sleep. Jack’s eyes droop down last, because he always hates missing anything, especially if Robbie’s around. But Robbie’s breathing is even and deep, as is Jack’s and Dean leans the door closed and goes downstairs.

He can hear Benny and Ella in the kitchen, his deep drawl punctuated by high pitched questions from her. Cas is leaning on the door jamb and watching as Ella and Benny work. Dean comes up behind Cas and wraps his arms around his friend’s waist.

"Boys asleep?" Cas asks quietly.

Dean hums in Cas’s ear. The muscles in Cas’s shoulders relax minutely and Dean asks, “What are they making?"

Cas shrugs. “Something with rice and chicken."

Benny has Ella measuring out the rice, and he’s doing something at the stove. The scent of the sauteing onions fills the air, and Dean can hear the sizzle of the chicken as Benny adds it to the pan. Benny seems at home in the kitchen, moving confidently between keeping an eye on Ella and on the gathering ingredients. He looks up and sees Dean and Cas in the entryway and he winks at them.

"You going to be okay with this?" Dean asks.

Cas thinks about his response for a long time before giving it. “Eventually."

 


End file.
